How to Properly Clean Your Earbuds

Why You Must Clean Your Earbuds ASAP — and How

You probably use your earbuds all day — during your commute to work, work itself, and your commute home. As many times as you pull them in and out of your bag, you probably don't think often enough about keeping them clean. Unsurprisingly, earbuds can transmit bacteria from person to person if they're shared, and in some cases can even cause ear infections. Clearly they need to be kept clean, but what's the best way?

Obviously you can't just toss your earbuds in the dishwasher to clean them. While doing some research, I came across a few suggestions of how to properly clean earbuds. Here's how:

Use a gentle cleaner, like soap and warm water. No need to go too heavy-duty here; try a mix of dishwashing detergent and water.

Use a gentle cloth with just a small amount of the soap mixture. Too much soap could leave a residue on your earbuds, and too much water, well that goes without saying.

If there's a lot of dirt or dust in the metal part of your earbuds, try brushing them with a dry toothbrush to dislodge the dust.

Some earbuds, like Apple's In-Ear Headphones, come with removable (and replaceable) silicone covers, so try removing them and cleaning those separately.

Never submerge them in water. You'll damage the wiring. Ditto for running them under the faucet, even for just a second.

Remember to only clean your earbuds when they're detached from your iPod or other device!

Hmm - maybe I've got a pair of cheapies ( - noise isolation type). When I tried cleaning them with small amount of liquid detergent soaked in microfibre cloth - the little fine mesh screen came out. I guess one wonders what will happen if it comes out in your ear?

4 years

I've rinsed my in-ear buds in warm water several times, works just fine. When the wax goes away, so does the dirt..

5 years

Soak q-tip in rubbing alcohol (make sure you don't get the q-tip too wet) and rub on the headphone ear buds.

Great article. I am the CEO of a company called Breppies. We make an earbud cover that will keep your earbud from getting dirty in the first place. I guess I am thinking an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure. They are pretty cool and come in some awesome styles and colors. They keep your ears from hurting too, which is always a plus. Just another option to add to your list.

5 years

I've rinsed my in-ear buds in warm water several times, works just fine. When the wax goes away, so does the dirt..

5 years

you can submerge them actually, just make sure they're thoroughly dry before you use them again.
Antiseptic wipes from a chemist are the best thing to use really.

5 years

Soap & water WOW!!!! I know that you could not have advised that ....really.
Try Isopropyl alcohol is the best cleaning agent to use, dries in minutes. and safe for metal and most plastics.

5 years

I left mine in my trousers and washed it all together, surprisingly they're still working